Army to use plants to clean Makua valley soil
By James Gonser
Advertiser Leeward Bureau
WAI'ANAE — The Army plans to conduct a demonstration project at Makua Military Reservation using plants to extract chemicals left in the valley's soil from explosives, and has filed a draft environmental assessment with the state detailing the project.
Advertiser library photo • Jan. 20, 2001
The process, called phytoremediation, will be conducted in the open burn-open detonation area at Makua, used by the Army to destroy old and unusable ammunition until 1992, Army spokeswoman Maj. Cynthia Teramae said.
The Army plans to demonstrate the use of native Hawaiian plants to draw out chemicals in the soil at Makua.
"We know there are certain chemicals in the soil," Teramae said. "Phytoremediation uses plants that are native to Hawai'i to draw out any chemicals or toxins in the soil. It is a one-time test project.
"On the Mainland, they have been using this process and have been successful cleaning soils using certain plants. It leaves a clean soil, is not threatening and does not put more chemicals into the soil."
Teramae said this project is unrelated to the Army's more controversial environmental assessment released in December to resume live-fire training in the valley. Some residents are asking for a more extensive environmental impact statement to address community concerns beforetraining resumes.
The Army has not trained in Makua for more than two years, and Army officials say the readiness of soldiers at Schofield Barracks has deteriorated.
The $800,000 phytoremediation project will be done in two phases, according to the assessment. The first phase consists of a greenhouse study at the University of Hawai'i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources to identify plant species for phytoremediation. During Phase 2, a 200-foot-square area at Makua will be sectioned off to grow the plants and test the results.
Teramae said four or five plants will be selected for the project, which will last about two years.
Community members favor this effort, said Wai'anae resident William Aila.
"We are supporting the project at this time," Aila said. "If they can come up with plants that can remove some of the toxins in the ground, that is a good way to bring life back to the valley."
Aila said there are some "nasty chemicals" in the valley, including lead, and PCBs or polychlorinated biphenyls, a toxic substance that was used in electric transformers and has been linked to cancer.
Residents would like the Army to conduct a full investigation of all chemicals in the valley, including napalm and uranium, Aila said.
"It is separate from the returning-to-live-fire issue," Aila said. "But how do you blank out in your mind that what we have in this area is contaminated, and what caused it? It is the community's major concern — not what are the effects of them going back to training, but what are the effects of them using the area for 50 years?
"We are responsible for that land once it is given back, so we need to know the worst-case scenario of what is left in the valley."
According to the assessment, the objectives of this project are to demonstrate the effectiveness of plants unique to Hawai'i in removing contamination from past military operations, to aid in the transfer of the phytoremediation technology to other areas in the Asia-Pacific region, and to help train agricultural employees through hands-on application.
Copies of the Phytoremediation Demonstration Project draft environmental assessment and findings of no significant impact are available at the Wai'anae Public Library. Comments will be accepted on the report until April 23. Send comments to Peter Yuh Jr., National Environmental Protection Agency Project Coordinator, Department of Public Works, U.S. Army Garrison-Hawai'i, Schofield Barracks, HI 96857-5013.
